cooney



PJA. CQONEY 1,787,934

TIME REGISTER Filed April 19, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,6 J7 ll a 55 5; 55 :1 a J J4 1 7 64 Jan. 6, 1931. CQQNEY 1,787,934

TIME REGISTER v Filed A ril 19, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /4Z/622Z0Z P6262 ,4 (00226;

Patented Jan. 6, 1931 f UNITED STATES PETER A. sooner, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, nssrenon, BY MESNE AssIenMnnrsj'ro conronnrron, or novnn, DELAWARE, A oonronn'rron or. DEA f mnomnnconnan was:

, Application filed April 19,

The invention has general reference to machines adapted for use in connection with plant management for the purpose of 'enaiding the elimination of waste with a resuiting increase inthe efficiency ofthe plant.

An important element of such machines is the mechanism for registering the timeduroperative to register with any degree of accuracy the productive time, and it is the primary object of this invention to produce a register of a highly eflicient character capable of eliminating substantially/the inaccuracics attending the devices. 1

With this obj ect in view, the invention contemplates the production of a time register which is positively actuated through the medium of reduction gearing by power derived operation of prior from a shaft drivenfat a high rate of speed,

as by means of an electric motor, the latter being controlled by means of aspeed limitin device so as to render the speed of operation of the motor shaft substantially constant.

The provision of a construction and arrangement such that the registering device is actuated through a positive gearing connection with the actuating shaft as distinguished from a friction clutch connection I such as has heretofore been commonly employed, is a feature of substantial importanoe. This I accomplish by the provision of an actuating spindle for each of the registers, which spindle is moved under electromagnetic'control into and out of engagement with a common actuating shaft.

By thus employing a high speed driving unit, in combination with reduction gearing capable of effectually transmitting power to the registering device at a sufficiently reduced speed to register time, slight fluctuations in the speed of the driving element are PATENT OFFICE 1 TIME nners'rnn 1923. Serial No. 633,052.

renderedpractically negligible, whereas such I fluctuations in the case of previous driving elements which are commonly actuated at a very slow rate of speed under the control of a clock mechanism, are transmitted substantially'in the sameproportion to the registerlng device, rendering .its operation wholly undependable. r

The invention embraces other minor ob- 1ects and advantages which will appear in the progress of the following specification in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of a set of-registers mounted on a support common toall, each register being individual .to a certain machine for registering its operation when producing or running idle, or both, as desired. Fig. Qis a transverse vertical section on an enlarged scale taken in the plane of line 22 of Fig-1. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section of one of the registers and is a view taken on line 3-3 of Fig.2. Fig. 4 isa sectional detail of a part of a register and is taken looking in the directionof the arrow of line4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an isolated perspective detailof another partof the operating mechanism of one of the registers, and Fig. 6 is a circuit diagram showing the electrical connections between a recording chart mechanism and the: time registers, and including the governor for the motor. o

This applicationconstitutes in part a continuation of my copending applications Ser. Nos. 494,426 filed August 22, 1921, and No.v 585,593 filed Sept. 1, 1922. o

The apparatus, of which the registers 7 form a part, is in practice usually kept in the oflice ofthe plant or other place for ready inspectionby the person whose duty it'isto note the operation of the various machines. These registers are mounted upon a support within a suitable case (not shown). Herein this support is in the form of an inverted V-frame 8 comprising yertical end members- 9 which providebearings for a shaft 10. Theshaft 10 passes through one of the members 9 and is connected withan electric motor 11 mounted preferablyupon a bracket 11 on the outside of the frame. This motor is of any torsion spring 12 forms a universal connection between the shaft 10 and the motor.

The registers7, herein shown as ten in numher, are disposed in opposed relation onYopposite sides of the shaft 10 upon the inclined sides of the frameS. Each register has an.

operating spindle "13 to the free end of which I is secured a worm gear 14. The shaft 10 has rigid therewith a Worm which may, if desired, be formed as an integralpartofthe shaft. The worm gears 14 are adapted to mesh with theworm 15 upon the energization of the coils'of the electromagnets 16. These coils are energized intermittently upon the completion of each rotation, reciprocation or other operating movement, or cycle of movements, ofa machine element such as the cylinder of aprinting press. The coil 16 upon being energized attracts its armature 17'fastened to the lower side of the registers 7, thereby swinging the same inwardly on the hinge spring 18 so that the worm wheel 14 meshes 'with the worm 15.

Suitable guide posts 19 maybe provided on opposite sides of the registers to prevent lateral displacement thereof upon engagement ofthe worm gears 14 withthe worm 15. An adjustable set screw 20 is also provided for each register to limit the extent of return movement thereof.

The registers and associated parts are preferably enclosed within a protective housing v21 which may have a hinged lid 22 swingable by a handle 23 upon hinges 24 to afford access to the parts as when it becomes necessary to lubricatethe same or to reset the registers. Theitop of the housingis formed by a glass plate 25 which permits the operator readily to observe the registers. An arcuate plate 26 is carried by the end members 9 beneath the plate 25, and is provided on its upper face (Fig. 1) with numbers or other preferred indicia adj acentthe several registers, to identify them with the shop machines to which they severally are connected.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive: Each register 7 comprises a casing which is preferably cast to'form a base 27 (Fig.2), a peripheral wall 27 and one side wall 27", the other side being open (Fig. 3). The operating spindle 13 1s journaled in'the peripheral wall 27" at opposite ends *ofthe'casing and has a worm 28 rigid with its inner end. The worm 28 meshes with a worm gear 29 rotatable upon a stud 30 carried by the wall 27 b of the casing. A crank pin'32 projects from the outer face of the worm gear 29 and operates in the forked end 33 of a rocker arm 34. The arm 34 is pivoted upon a pin 35 mounted in side plates "36 secured upon opposite sides of the casing,

the latter being cutaway in its forward portion asat 27 (Figs. 2 and 3) to receive :1 seconds wheel 37 and a minutes wheel 38 also mounted on the shaft 35. These wheels constitute time indicating elements and thus are provided with indicia upon the periphery thereof, which, in the operation of the register, may be observed through windows 39 '1) provided in a plate 42 closing the opening 27 K This plate is slotted to receive annular flanges 41 rigid with'and projecting radially outwardly from the wheelsv37 and 38,. and the peripheries of these flanges are serrated to facilitate their manipulation in resetting the register wheels. A suitable index finger may be provided to enable the readings in minutes and seconds to be taken.

.The wheels 37 and 38 for registering the seconds and minutes are actuated in the reciprocatlon of the rocker arm 34 n a manner,

to be presently described, by power derived from the shaft 10 rotating at high speed and transmitted to the spindle 13,the operative connections between the shaft and spindle, between the spindle and the rocker arm, and between therocker arm and the wheels constituting reduction gearing rendering it possible to employ a high speed drive.

a The connection between the rocker arm'and the register wheels comprises a pawl and ratchet mechanism. Thus a ratchet wheel 43 is riveted or otherwise secured tothe inner side of the seconds'wheel 37 at one sidezof the rocker arm 34, and on the opposite side of the wheel 38 is fastened another ratchet 44' (Fig. 3), ma similar manner to the minutes wheel 38. The rocker arm 34 carries a pair of pawls 45 and 46 adapted to-engage and move the ratchets43 and 44 to advance the wheels 37 and 38. These ratchets have detent springs. 37 to hold the same yieldingly in adjusted position. The pawls (see Fig. 5) are pivoted ona' common pivot pin 47 and are connected together rigidly by another pin 48 so that they constitute a couple.

ets to be driven thereby. It will be observed that the toe of the pawl 45 is'somewhat longer than thatof the pawl 46, there being a difference equal to the depth of a tooth of the ratchet 44. Due to this provision the pawl 46 is held out of engagement with the ratchet 44 until the pawl 45 engages in a deep tooth 51 provided in the ratchet 43. This occurs only once in a complete turn of the wheel 37 so that the wheel 38 is advanced one step to each complete turn of the wheel 37. The ar rangement is such that in the continuousproductive operation of a shop machine, the

wheel 37 is moved through a complete turn 1n sixty seconds, and in the same time the step, which is equivshown for this purpose, a holding dog 37 (Fig.2) in the form of a leaf spring mounted upon the base 27 and enclosed Within the casing by the plate 42.

For facilitating the resetting of the indi- I cator wheels to zero, I provide means com-,

prising two pins 55 rigid with the wheels 37 and 38 respectively and a pivoted dog 56 mounted at 59 in the peripheral wall 27 of.

the casing of the register 7 and having a laterally projecting finger 58 between which and said peripheral wall is interposed a coiled compression spring 57 Tlie arrangement is such that the dog is normally held by the spring out of the path of travel of the pins 55. When, however, the finger 58 c is depressed the. dog is moved into position to be engaged by the pins when the wheels are moved manually through the medium of the serrated flanges 41, said pins being so arranged in the wheels that when they engage with the dog, the Wheels will be positioned at zero with respect to the index fingers 40.

The operation of the register is as follows: Assume that the electro-magnet 16 is included in series in a circuit furnished with current from a generator 52 (Fig. 6) which circuit is adapted to be closed at regular inter. vals by a switch 53 on the machine whose operation is being registered. The armature 17 upon a flow of current through the'coil of electromagnet 16 is attracted, thus moving the register 7 inwardly to efi'ect an intermeshing engagement of the worm gear 14 with the worm 15, which latter operates at substantially constant speed as above described. The spindle 13 is thus rotated to drive the worm 28, which in turn operates the worm gear 29 to communicate rocking movement to the arm 34 through the medium of the crank pin 32. In the rocking move. ments of the arm 34 the pawls and 46 are reciprocated. The pawl 45, being in engagement with the ratchet 43, moves the same to advance the seconds wheel 37. Upon the completion of one turn of the ratchet 48, the mutilated or deep tooth 51 is encountered by the pawl 46. The latterswinging in farther than otherwise permits engagement of the pawl 46 with the ratchet 44 to move the same to advance the minutes wheel 38 one step. This cycle of movements may occur upon each rotation, reciprocation or other operating movement of the machine element In Fig. 6 the electrical connections existing between the electromagnets 16 of the time registers and the electromagnet 54 of a-chart marker or stylus ares'hown. Thiscircuit includes, besides the f .eneratur '52 and the. electromagnets' just re erred .to,.;a controller mechanism 53 for controlling the operation of the registers and'the stylusmechm nism, as set forth in my said application Serial No. 585,593.

The speed of the motor 11 may be conshaft. One side of said switch is connected by means of a conductor 7 9 directly with the source of electric energy provided by-jthe generator 52 and the other side is connected by a, conductor with an electromagnet 81.

The. latter has an armature 82 in the form of a bell crank lever having insulated contaetwitha movable switch member 83 adapted to *engage stationary contact 84 connected byineansof a conductor 85 with the field of the electriclmotor 11. Normally the circuit through the contacts 72 and T7. is closed, energizing the magnet :81 sothat the circuit through thecontacts 83 and 84 is also closed with theresult that energy is sup.- plied directly to. the motor 11. When, how.- ever, the speed of the motor exceedsa predetermined rate, the weighted arms 69 acting through therpin 68 hr'eak the circuit closed by the. contacts'72 and 77. In this event, a

resistance element 86 is interposed in the connection between, theccontact member 72 and the conductor thus retardingthe 7 speed ofthe motor.

It will be observedthat while the governor mechanism produces, strictly, a constant- 1y fluctuating speed of the motor, such fluctuations are substantially uniform, and therefore an average or mean speed which is substantially constant ismaintained. It will also be evident that because the shaft, rotates at a high rate of speed, and the various devices actuated thereby are driven at an exceedingly low rate "of speed, the variations -in the speed of the shaft when transmitted to the time registering devices render any inaccuracies practically negligible. 1

I believe that I" am the first to employ a high speedshaft for actuating a time regis-- 'ter. In prior devices it has been customary to employ shaft driven by a clockwork mechanism at a slow rate of speed and through themedium of connections such that errors. occurring in the transmission of the power from the drive shaft are transmitted time register including a .rotary indicating directly to: suchdevices rendering them device, a drive spindle for said device, a disengageable operative connectlon between ship with the shaft. 1

speed, and means including inclined supports for removably mounting the time registering units in staggered ranks on the opposite sides of the shaft with theworm gear carried bythe spindleof each in operative relation- In testimony, whereof, I affixed my signature. r 7

r PETER A. COONEY.

said shaft andsaid spindle adapted to drive the spindle at a substantially reduced speed,

to drive the latter at time registering speed. 7 2. In apparatus of the-character described, the combination of time registering means,

a shaft carrying a worm, means for driving the shaft at a high and substantially constant and an operative connection between said 1- spindle and saidindicating device adapted speed including an electric motor and an automatic governor therefor, and means for actuating the time registering means from the shaft'positively and at suitably reduced speed including a spindle carrying a worm gear movably mounted to shift the gear into and out of engagement with the worm on the shaft and operatively connected by pawl and ratchet mechanism' with the time registering means. a

3. In apparatus of thecharacter described,

the combination oftime registering means, a shaft carrying a wormand driven at a high and substantially constant speed, means for actuating the time registering means from the shaft positively and at'suitably reduced speed-including a spindle movable to shift a worm gear carried thereon into and'out of engagement with the worm on the shaft and operativelyconnected-with the time register ingmeans, and electromagnetic means controlled by a switch and adapted in turn to control the operative engagement of' the spindle withthe shaft. v

4. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a plurality of time registering units each provided with an actuating spindle carrying a worm gear, of a worm shaft, an electric motor operatively connected with and adapted to drive the shaft at a high and substantially constant rate of speed, and means for detachably mounting the time registering units in ranks 011 the opposite sides of the worm shaft with the worm gear carried by the spindle of each in operative relationship with the shaft.v

5. In apparatus of the character described, d

the combinationwith a plurality of time registering units each provided with a spindle carrymg a wormgear, and speed reducing actuating connections between the .spindle and timeregistering elements, of a worm shaft, an automatically regulated electric motor connected with. and adapted to drive the shaft at a high and substantially constant have hereunto 

